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Conservatives try new strategy to restrict rights

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In his April 14 op-ed column “Left is veering toward
totalitarianism,” Charles Krauthammer complained that conservatives get called names and face
penalties from “social ostracism to vocational defenestration” for taking a stand on global warming
and social issues.

Krauthammer noted that conservatives get called deniers for opposing global warming and bigots
for opposing same-sex marriage and are accused of conducting a “war on women” for opposing
contraception use and equal pay in the workplace. Krauthammer concentrated on name-calling instead
of the “sticks and stones” of the issues, which are the real obstacles that hurt conservatives’
chances of making their opposition effective.

Wisely, Krauthammer steered away from discussing the trust that Americans place in science and
discussing Americans’ resolve to protect the rights of same-sex couples and women granted by the
U.S. Constitution.

Krauthammer’s real purpose was to distract readers from arguments conservatives aren’t winning.
He clearly recognizes that persuading Americans of the virtues of contradicting science has proved
to be a monumental task. And that persuading Americans that it is acceptable to violate the U.S.
Constitution based on religion has proved no less difficult.

Faced with that difficulty, conservatives recently took a detour. They figured after the
front-door approach to denying other Americans their constitutional rights failed, a backdoor
approach might succeed. Instead of denying same-sex couples and women rights based on some
religious belief, conservatives now simply argue they are the real victims because they are being
denied the right to practice their religion. Krauthammer called this “impingement on the free
exercise of religion.”

In effect, conservatives are trying to convince Americans that “freedom of religion” means
people are free to deny others their rights if religion provides the pathway. Unfortunately for
conservatives, this doesn't make denying other Americans their constitutional rights any less
unconstitutional.

It really doesn't matter whether conservatives use the front-door or the backdoor approach. This
is America, and although we are a diverse and free people, we are simply not going to stand by and
let conservatives subvert foundations that protect the rights of all Americans.